Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-23
THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD
An Eastern Correspondent Visits the Gel
ebrated yina Ranch.

ebrated Sina Ranch.
4 correspondent OF the Chicago Enter.
prise recently visited Senator ;Stanford's
ranch at VIVA, and thus writes concern
lug it:
But the vineyard is the wonderful feat.
ure of the Stanford ranch it extends for
several miles UP and down On each side of
the road as you approach Nina, and back
from the road as far as the eve can reach.
In some places the vines are large, in 9TH
ers they have been set out and in the lat
ter case they are supported by an army of
stakes This vineyard contains $500
acres, and is the largest vineyard in the
world; but sill the Senator is not salts
fed, and proposes to have 5000 acres. More
vines are being set out every year. The
prettiest sight of all are the Gerke vines
which form the nucleus of Senator Stan
ford's vineyard. These vines are all old,
and stand fully five feet high The trunks
are larger than Il mans arm. The branches
are trimmed off at the bottom, and allowed
to grow out at the top, until the vineyard
looks like an orchard of young peach trees,
and they are all pruned off so evenly that
they make one level floor of green as the
eve giances across them.
The vines already in bearing requires
the attention of several hundred men to
take care of the grapes they produce, and
it Will take q small army of men TO attend
the crop each year when all the vines get
to bearing. The winery already in use on
the ranch is large building, but now SEN
ator Stanford is having !. brick structure
erected which covers two acres. The walls
are already up, and one hundred and forty
pillars are being erected to support the
roof. The building is to hold the wine
watts and casks and is Il sort of Il wine Gel
lar above ground. 1t is of mammoth pro-
portions, but so is the vineyard, and SO will
the crop of grapes be.
One could talk about the vineyard and
winery all day, hut there are other things
to be mentioned. Next to his vines, in
Stanfords esteem, come his fine horses. Oh
these there are large bands to be seen, all
beauties and of the best blood. The Sena-
tor makes specially of raising fast horses
which he sells for fancy figures Every
animal is spirited, beautifully proportional
and looks sleek and smooth. The two stall.
ions to which he breeds all his mares are
Clay and Whips. The former the Senator
values at $4,000. Clay is rather small
brown horse, kind and gentle in DISPOSE
ton. Whips is fine large bay, full of life
and beautifully built In fact, the Senator
considers Whips the ideal of horseliesI
and beyond price.
The animal was expected to make very
fast time, but was famed in his early train
ing at Palo Alto, and hence is used only
for breeding purposes. Several fine horses
have been famed lately on the Palo Alto
track, which is considered too hard, and
the Senator intends to build Il training
track on his Nina ranch. Negotiation:
are now in progress for the purchase of the
Copeland estate, which adioins Stanford
on the west, next to the river, and wher
these negotiations are completed the track
Will probably be built on this land. Then
all of the fine stock will be brought tc
Fina, which will be made headquarter,
for the training department
Other features of this wonderful ranch
deserve extended mention. The nine large
barns for the horses, which are made as
comfortable as most dwellings; the barns
where the Ilolsteins have their quarters
kept as neat as a parlor those fine old
llolstein cattle themselves of monstrou,
size and beautifully marked in black and
white, one COW in particular, which is be,
ing fattened for beet, to weigh twenty five
hundred pounds, and which now weighs
nearly two thousand Senator Stanford's
handsome two-story residence, with its ex-
tensive lawns, flower gardens and statuary
all of these things attract the attention
and excite the interest of the stranger
But, then, everything about this great
ranch is Of interest, and after the visitor
has spent the day in examining the differ.
ent features he still feels how little he ha:
seen. The ranch is one of the wonders Of
this wonderful State